24 July,2023 08:14 AM IST | Sydney | AFP
Amanda Ilestedt
Perennial underachievers France were held 0-0 by Jamaica to make a frustrating start to their Women's World Cup campaign on Sunday, but Sweden and the Netherlands both won by slender margins.
France have never lifted the World Cup despite the strength of their women's domestic league and were defied by a battling Jamaica in the Sydney rain in front of nearly 40,000. The Jamaicans ertheless celebrated wildly at the final whistle and defender Deneisha Blackwood was paraded in the air.
In the first match of Day Four of the tournament in Australia and New Zealand, Sweden were given a scare by South Africa before winning 2-1.
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The third-ranked Sweden fought back from a goal down and conjured up the winner in the 90th minute through Arsenal defender Amanda Ilestedt, who was named player of the match, much to the relief of their fans in miserably wet conditions in Wellington. A goal early in the second half by Hildah Magaia - in which she suffered a match-ending injury - had given South Africa hope of an upset in front of 18,317 spectators. But that was soon cancelled out by Barcelona star Fridolina Rolfo before Ilestedt's late intervention, heading home from close range for a hard-fought victory.
The Dutch, losers 2-0 to the United States in the final four years ago, had less trouble against debutants Portugal in the New Zealand city of Dunedin. Defender Stefanie van der Gragt scored with a powerful header on 13 minutes with what turned out to be the winner.
Co-hosts New Zealand return to action on Tuesday to begin the second round of group matches. The New Zealand team had to be evacuated on Saturday after a fire at their hotel in Auckland. Defender CJ Bott called it "not ideal" and "not a situation anyone wants to be in." "We went down the fire exits," she said.
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